


Shadows of Men

by DragonOnHoliday



Series: Broken Family, Mending Hearts [2]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Gabe feels lost and wants to move on, M/M, Post-Fall, Pre-Recall, gabe knows jack's alive, headcanon that they share a grave after the fall, jack doesn't know gabe's alive, this is an angsty-ish turn on my shared grave post i made a while back
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:13:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28255980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonOnHoliday/pseuds/DragonOnHoliday
Summary: He was only a phantom of who he once was. A small piece of the man he was. A sick, mocking reminder.○●○●He was only a ghost of his former self. A man who left everything and everyone he knew behind, who walked the earth to find a purpose, to carry on a fight he had lost years ago.○●○●Jack and Gabe go back to forget and move on. It's easier said then done.
Relationships: Reaper | Gabriel Reyes/Soldier: 76 | Jack Morrison
Series: Broken Family, Mending Hearts [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2069928
Kudos: 19





	Shadows of Men

**Author's Note:**

> Dedicated to the Overwatch Server I'm a part of because they all encouraged me to write and finish this lol.  
> Hope you enjoy!

He was only a phantom of who he once was. A small piece of the _man_ he was. A sick, mocking reminder.

He was only a fraction of who he was, but he had loved Jack Morrison with every fibre of his previous being. Which meant this tiny, broken shard, still did.

Unfortunate, really.

He found himself walking back to that dreadful place again. He couldn't help it. His feet always carried him there eventually. There were dark clouds rolling in from the West, and he briefly wondered how long he had until it started to rain before he decided that it didn't matter in the end. It wouldn't interfere.

He slipped through the gaps in the giant metal gate, feeling his body flow as easily as water. There was a quick, sharp sting that appeared afterwards, as it always did, but he was used to it enough to push it away. He stood stiffly, waiting for the pain to edge away as he glanced over the area.

_This is the last time. You'll never have to come back._

That thought wasn’t as comforting as it should have been, mostly because he knew it wasn't true. He rolled his shoulders and walked the path he's been down multiple times, more well known than the back of his hand.

The small metal in his pocket felt like it was burning against his leg with each movement, if he could even feel burns the same again. Everything was dull and underwhelming compared to how it once was, even temperatures. Moira had told him that it was a side-effect as she had been filing her claw-like nails, a bored expression on her face.

He supposed now he knew what Genji felt like.

Sometimes, just sometimes, he regretted listening to her. But then, he didn't exactly have a choice anyways. It was pointless to dwell on it instead of concentrating on his mission and lists, just as it was pointless to come here.

He approached the familiar gravestone not long after firmly telling himself that this _would_ be the last time. He would make sure of it.

It wasn't hard to find it, anyways. It never had been because it was one that specifically caught your eye.

Two hearts intertwining two names.

_Jack Morrison & Gabriel Reyes. _

Reaper stared blankly at it for a moment before he crouched, running a gloved hand lightly over the smooth stone.

"I'd say something," he murmured, low and raspy, "but considering you aren't under there, it'd just fall on deaf ears."

Checking to make sure there was no one around he slowly reached up and took off his mask, setting it beside him but leaving his hood up to protect him from the light drizzle.

"You always said we'd have time, Jackie. Guess you were wrong."

It was unlikely Jack would ever come here.

He was only here himself for one final reason - to finally try to let _go._

He reached into his pocket, pulling out the small ring that had been tucked away. He studied it, tilting his head side to side to consider what to do next.

_It's what's best._

It was stupid to come here. He had no reason to, just like every other time.

Jack was alive, a ghost going as Soldier: 76. And Jack hated him, probably has for a long time, and Reaper is too tired to care.

He was not Gabriel Reyes anymore, anyways. He hasn't been that man in many years.

With a nod he brought it to his lips, whispering three words he'd be ashamed of escaping his mouth before placing it next to Jack's name gently. He grabbed his mask as he stood, droplets of water dripping from it as if it was shedding his tears for him, his eyes never leaving the grave even when he placed it over his face.

He had no more need for the ring. It was useless.

Someone like him can't be in love.

Unfortunate. The world was filled with unfortunates.

When he left through the bars of the creaky gate, he didn’t look back.

○●○●

He was only a ghost of his former self. A man who left everything and everyone he knew behind, who walked the earth to find a purpose, to carry on a fight he had lost years ago.

To carry on a fight he had lost the moment he had lost Gabriel Reyes.

He was back at the graveyard again. It took him a bit of roaming around to find it, as it was hidden from the main road, and then to find the headstone itself. He had only been here a few times, worried that he might be caught by the local authorities if he hung around too often. The moon was high in the sky once he stumbled upon it, the lack of sleep finally catching up to him.

It was still too surreal to think that Gabe, the man who was both a pain in his ass and the love of his life was dead. There are some moments he still can't believe it, but then he'll snap out of it hours later, and he ends up camping out in the nearest hideout for the next few days. Those moments are rare but they linger and they can shatter him in minutes.

Something shone lightly, catching his eye. He barely glanced at the names, too focused on the small object. He slid to his knees into the mud, uncaring if his pants would be filthy when he stood up. It looked like...

The ring had two hearts on the top, and Jack froze mid-reach as he saw the colours. _Blue and white._

It was as if someone had punched him in the stomach. With trembling fingers he picked up the ring and brought it closer to his face, inspecting every surface he could. There was one thing that could set apart this ring from any other, one detail that was uniquely theirs, and-

_Property of JM; Non-refundable_

God _damn_ it.

Soldier: 76 did not cry. But Jack Morrison sure did.

It had been a stupid engraving, once upon a time. Gabe had shown him the promise rings with pride one night a few weeks after the proposal, a huge grin on his face, and they had both laughed over them for a long time, giddy with the thought of together and forever.

And here Jack was, alone, sobbing over a shared grave that probably isn’t even necessary anymore.

He went to put it back down but his fingers were glued to it. Tears splattered down his mask and onto the grave, and with a violent growl he tore off his visor and threw it to the side.

 _He was dead, he is supposed to be dead, he's_ not dead _and he_ didn't tell me-

He felt like he was choking, an invisible hand clutching at his throat and holding his heart dangerously tight as he pulled out his own ring, the two coloured hearts glittering in the moonlight.

"You said no take backs, you asshole," he gasped, setting it down next to Gabe's name. He pocketed the one left originally, leaning on the gravestone as he tried to catch his breath.

"I'm going to kick your fucking ass," he cried, tears falling onto the name he tried for so long to forget. "I'm going to kick your ass for not telling me you're still alive."

It wasn’t a threat. It was a promise.

When he finally did stand, ignoring the fact that his vision blacked out for a second, it wasn’t until hours later. The sun was beginning to rise as he put his visor back on, cursing the fact that he had to leave lest he wanted to risk getting arrested.

"I'll be back," he promised quietly, and with one last glance he headed out, somehow feeling more empty than he had when he had walked in.

○●○●

See, the funny thing about his promises was that he kept them to the bitter end. Sometimes he thinks that's how he ended up what he is now.

Sure, he'll keep his promises. To _anyone other than himself._

He might've laughed if he wasn't feeling so bitter over it. Another day, maybe.

The gate was opened this time. He walked through, heading down the path once again. He couldn't spend as long as he would’ve hoped, but he was here.

It was Jack's birthday today. Just one more day on the calendar. Nothing special, and it hadn't been special in a long time.

He was so deep in his thoughts he didn't notice the ring that gleamed on his name. When he did he paused, stiffening.

That...didn't look like his ring.

It was moved, for starters, from where he had placed it last. He doubted anyone would pocket it or touch it in general, and the fact that the silver seemed to be a bit charred along the edge facing him made his suspicions grow. He crouched, leaning in to get a closer look.

Yes, this ring was definitely different than his own. Reaper almost panicked for a second - if he even could do that anymore - before he picked up the ring.

The hearts on the top were red and gold, and he didn’t even realize he was holding his breath until all the air in his lungs left.

_Property of GR; Para siempre_

Well.

This certainly...is something.

For a strange moment, he felt...lost.

Jack had...kept it?

Jack was _here?_

 _Why,_ rang through his head, drowning out any other thought. _Why why WHY-_

Because he loves you-

 _No_. No, he had made it clear that he hadn't, after Venice all the way until the Swiss HQ explosion.

_He was hurt. You were both hurt and upset and still cared but it was fragile-_

Ana always did tell them they sucked at communication, always joked that they should go to couples therapy.

Maybe he should have taken her up on that.

_You haven't talked to him since._

_...You'll never_ get _to talk to him._

 _He wouldn’t_ want _to talk to you._

That was the thought that stung the most and it was the one that stuck the hardest. Jack would never want to talk to him again, wouldn't he?

He almost tried to reason that Jack had left his ring as a sign of moving on. But a small part of him screamed that if that truly was the case, why was _his_ ring missing?

How could he move on, how could he forget, when he only had another reminder?

He placed the ring carefully in his coat pocket, digging around to find the photograph he had kept of the both of them in his other pocket. He found it, and after finding a decent sized stone to lay on top of it, placed it onto the grave. It was one of his old favourites, of him and Jack in their military uniforms, both young and smiling. He had put a protective layer over it a while ago to make sure it wouldn't be damaged, so the weather would not harm it.

If Jack had come once...if it really was Jack…

...He had no idea what he would do.

This is stupid. What was he trying to do here? Communicate with a supposed dead man?

_You're a dead man yourself._

He gave a long sigh and stood. With one last glance at the grave he turned and left, the heavy rock in his chest growing heavier.

If it was meant to be then it will be meant to be.

For now, he was only a phantom in the night chasing a ghost of a soldier.

○●○●

And, well, if a ghost of a soldier came around a month later holding a little Blackwatch pin, it's not like Reaper would confirm nor deny leaving a small Overwatch charm in its place.

**Author's Note:**

> It took me so long to finish this and I'm STILL not happy with it but ARGH!!IT'S DONE!!  
> If I made a mistake or anything just let me know, I always want to improve on my writing.  
> Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed!! :)


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